The Organization that Cried Wolf

The UN has lost all credibility and many real victims now suffer.

Most are familiar with the famous child’s tale about the boy who cried wolf. On too many occasions he would claim that he was being endangered by a wolf and fool the well-meaning village folks who came running to his aid. They would be met with the boy giggling at their gullibility. Alas, when his life was really in jeopardy by a wolf and he cried out for help, none came to assist him. He had totally destroyed his credibility and the good-will of his neighbors by his repeated lies.

Today we are witnessing a tragic expression of this lesson on a global scale. And what makes is all the more distressing is that the victims generally are not the perpetrators of the lie; they do not deserve the punishment, as the boy in the fable did.

For too long the United Nations and their many enablers such as Arab nations, the media, European leftist and university professors have thrust the Palestinian case to be the cause célèbre on the international scene. And this is having very serious repercussions for millions of people who suffer all over the world. As Robert Fulford from the National Post (Canada) so eloquently wrote recently in an essay entitled, “Frozen in Time, Addicted to Pity” about the sham of Palestinian refugee status:

Refugees? Canadians (and Americans) know something about refugees. We know Hungarians, we know Vietnamese, we know many others. We admire their energy and their accomplishments. Observing them can be a bracing lesson in human tenacity under adverse circumstances.

But that pattern doesn't cover Palestinian refugees. They are a special case. For many reasons, various populations across the planet are displaced; only the Palestinians cling to their "refugee" status decade after decade. They present themselves as helpless victims of Israeli aggression. They await rescue - as they have been awaiting it for three generations, since Israel was founded in 1948. Members of other history-battered groups choose to live by an urgent ethic: Get up, get going, make a new life. Palestinians have a different approach: Sit down, wait, stay angry till the world provides for you.

The Palestinians are the only people who have their own private section of the UN, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). It defines "refugee" as someone who lived in Palestine between June, 1946, and May, 1948, and "lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict." The definition includes all their descendants. Entirely credible numbers don't exist, but UNRWA believes there were 711,000 such refugees in 1948, and now more than 4.7 million.

Sol Stern, trying in a recent City Journal article to bring some perspective to the Palestinian question, noted that in 1945 about 11 million ethnic German civilians, living in Central and Eastern Europe, were expelled from their homes "and force-marched to Germany by the Red Army, with help from the Czech and Polish governments. Historians estimate that two million died on the way." The survivors built new lives as best they could. Some still speak of reparations they deserve. None argue that they should live in squalor until they receive justice. The enemies of Israel have taught the world to pity the Palestinians and grant them an almost sacred position among the victims of colonialism. They deserve pity, of course, but pity for what their fellow Arabs have done to them.

Last week the BBC noted that one in ten Pakistanis have been affected by the massive flooding in that country and reported that…

The UN has launched an appeal for $459 million to help victims of Pakistan's flood disaster, which has affected at least 14 million people. UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said the money would be for immediate relief over the next three months. The disaster was "one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years", he said in New York.

But Mr. Holmes faces a daunting problem: People just don’t care. There is a general indifference to world suffering and a major part of the problem is the very organization that Mr. Holmes works for, the United Nations itself. It has spent so much time, energy, effort and dollars in its demonization of Israel for the so-called Palestinian crises that many real crises taking place in the world do not get the attention they deserve or need.

Pakistanis, Haitians, Chinese and so many others suffer and receive so little because the world has become numb to human suffering from the lies, deception and false claims that the United Nations has told about Israel regarding the Palestinians. If only the millions who are in great need (as we have seen in this past week alone) would be able to garner the widespread attention that the nine Turkish deaths received in the flotilla charade that captured world attention relentlessly in recent months, and still does. Making this all the more pitiful is the fact that the Haitians, Pakistanis et al suffer through no fault of their own, unlike the Palestinians who could have changed their situation if they so chose.

It is heartbreaking that so many lives will continue in wretched suffering and be ignored because the organization that is supposed to speak for them has completely lost all credibility through its continual claim about a crisis that doesn't exist nor did not have to be. And now when real calamity takes place, its voice falls on deaf ears, ignored from all the years it cried wolf, in the name of Palestine, when none existed.

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About the Author

Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale is Director of Aish South Florida. Tzvi grew up in Toronto, Canada, home of the perennially losing Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team. He attended Aish Jerusalem in the summer of 1979, determined to gain access to great Jewish works and thinkers such as the Talmud and Maimonides. Little did he know that it would take far longer than two months; he ended up staying in Israel for nine years. He received rabbinic ordination in 1985 and met his wife Karen, who grew up in London and is the great-granddaughter of the former chief rabbi of Meshed, Iran. As can only happen in Israel, Canadian-Polish-Jewish became intertwined with British-Israeli-Persian. Rabbi Nightingale has been involved in Aish South Florida since 1989 and has been Executive Director since 1993. During that time he has met over 20,000 people who have attended Aish programs, but he does not remember all of their names. In the meantime, watching his beloved Maple Leafs not win a championship since 1967 has taught Rabbi Nightingale the importance of patiently waiting for the arrival of Moshiach.

Visitor Comments: 12

(12)
James1st,
March 15, 2011 8:49 PM

Yes, but...

Quote,"Palestinians have a different approach: Sit down, wait, stay angry till the world provides for you.."
Quote,"UNRWA believes there were 711,000 such refugees in 1948, and now more than 4.7 million."
They must have been doing more than just sitting around.

(11)
Sonny Kosky,
August 23, 2010 5:27 PM

Arab oil states

I imagine 1 days oil revenue would pay for all the relief, that their fellow co-religionists in Pakistan would need immediately. Ask them why they don't do it instead of spending it on military equipment, much of it ending up in the hands of terrorists.

(10)
Michael Pell,
August 23, 2010 4:45 PM

Spot on article!!
As for ice hockey, Canadiens rule!!

(9)
Barbara,
August 20, 2010 3:50 PM

Great article!

I wish this article could be circulated everywhere so that people would learn the truth. I wonder, however, if the truth is what the world wants to hear. After so many centuries of anti-semitism and now anti-Zionism, the first thing to go is the truth. Only G-d can help us through these difficult times.

(8)
Dan,
August 17, 2010 5:01 PM

UN acts as member nations act (or don't)

The UN is not an independent agent. The UN does (or does not do) what its member nations, particularly the Security Council, tell it to do. If the UN is anti-semetic, then so are the leaders of many powerful nations around the world. But the real question: would the Jewish People be better or worse off if there wasn't a UN? Israel and the Jewish diaspora would be worse of in the absence of international institutions that promote world stability (international peace and security). You can criticize the UNO to make it better, but you cannot eliminate it.

(7)
Charles Stern,
August 16, 2010 2:38 PM

What about the other refugees?

So, how come the UN ignores the hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen who were forcibly evicted from their homes in the 1950's and 1960's, their ancestral homes for over 2000 years? Many of their descendants live in poverty, their fate ignored by the rest of the world.
Oh yeah, that's why. Because they were Jews.

(6)
Hena Schlund,
August 16, 2010 6:45 AM

The UN has lost all credibility

The UN has lost all credibility a long long time ago. Dont forget how they ran away from Rwanda leaving millions to die when they so easily could have stopped that massacre. Even just a few orders to the few remaining troops would have saved most. But the UN considers the world over populated and considers themselves gods who decide which live and who dies. They have no interest in saving lives and prove their mandate at every opportunity. The world refuses to wake up and see the evil of the UN. No destruction of the UN is unimaginable, none of their devastation is impossible. Hashem laughs at the foolish plots of the leaders of nations and they will fall in the pits they dug for the poor eventually. 10. For soon the wicked one will not be; you will gaze at his place and he will be gone. 11. But the humble shall inherit the earth, and delight in abundant peace. 12. The wicked one plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him. 13. My Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day will come. 14. The wicked have drawn a sword and bent their bow to fell the poor and destitute, to slaughter those of upright ways. 15. But their sword shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall break.

(5)
norman,
August 15, 2010 10:16 PM

muslim relief organizations

Where are the Muslims when the time comes to help their own?

(4)
ruth housman,
August 15, 2010 10:11 PM

the organization that didn't cry wolf

In terms of the Palestinian refugees, I feel deeply, there is a human problem here, and that problem, wherever one looks, has not been solved. I am not looking to blame, but looking for answers, because for those anywhere in the world who are homeless, this is a question of roots and routes and what is deep in every human being, is a need for home, a place to dig in, to plant oneself, and grow one's olive tree.
As to the organization that didn't cry wolf, I have said for a long time that Aish.com, rarely, if ever, discusses the problem of the environment, the animals, the vegetation, the callous disregard for what we have been gifted, namely what grows and is nourished and nourishes us all, namely, the land, the animals, the trees, the grass, and even, yes, the wolves. Why wolves? Well, they have been bombarded recently from the air. When if ever have I read any condemnations of such cruel practices on Aish? Maybe never, and this too, is part of our duty, as Jews, as those concerned with humanity, with what's humane.
We are judged by not only how we treat each other, but how we nourish, support and love all that exists on this planet. It's a sacred duty. And if there are people in camps of any kind, it does not matter, about the arrows, about guilt, about who is responsible for what. What matters is just the question of how we deal with love itself, and a story that is inhumane in that somehow it condones suffering, in one way, or another.
Matter also is mater in Latin, aurally the same. And mater is for Mother, and Mother is also, for God, and our man date to save the world. We call it: tikkun olam.

(3)
David S. Levine,
August 15, 2010 6:21 PM

A Good Development

It's good to read that the UN has lost this much credibility. Every Democrat running for office this year should be closely questioned abut his or her support for this organization, the most anti-Semitic organization in the owrld today which was brought into existence by the Democrat party and its president at the time, Franklin Roosevelt who did nothing about the concentration camps. All decent people should have contempt for the United nations and its agencies.

(2)
raye,
August 15, 2010 5:24 PM

A long awaited and belated article

The Palistians don't just cry wolf, they have the most topnotch public relations organizations that oil can provide to plead their course but how it boomerangs asfaras the U-N- is concerned.

(1)
Anonymous,
August 15, 2010 4:49 PM

Bullseye

Rabbi,
The truth is clear as day. To those who want to know the truth, you have presented it. To those who are willing to say black is white or white is black if it will harm Israel, unfortunately the truth is irrelevant.
Keep pointing out the truth for those who are looking for it. Those who have only the agenda of destroying Israel will wonder why no one is helping them when they need help.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

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